This invention relates to chemical protective clothing, and more particularly to a material that has a good resistance to a broad range of chemicals for use in chemical protective clothing.
There is a growing need in industry for chemical protective clothing with a broad range of chemical resistance. Chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) polymers produced by Dow Chemical Company is produced in sheets for use in making protective clothing, but it is not recommended for protection against many chemicals, such as chlorinated solvents. There are, of course, other materials that could be used, such as Viton, a trademark of E. I. Dupont De Nemours & Company for a fluoroelastomer based on the capalymer of vinylidene fluoride and hexafluoropropylene, and nitrite-butadiene rubber (NBR). However, these other materials also have their limitations.
A search for a material having good resistance to many chemicals that attack CPE led to Tedlar, a trademark of E. I. Dupont De Nemours & Company for a polymer of vinyl fluoride (PVF). In sheet form, it is characterized by superior resistance to weather, high strength, high dielectric constant, and low permeability to air and water, as well as oil and many classes of common solvents, including hydrocarbons and chlorinated solvents, and only partially soluble in a few highly polar solvents at temperatures above 300.degree. F. Its use has been as a laminate for protection of outdoor material, packaging and electrical insulation. Because the sheet material becomes too stiff as thickness is increased, it has not been used for clothing.